Reviews/Previews

Thats right, you heard it here first. Berg Audio are back with their fourth instalment and this time round they have called on Berlin born Diego Krause and Swiss artist Idealist to take care of business. Both bringing that dubbed out techno sound that we are so familiar with from the label. After a huge string of releases from Berg including the likes of iO (Mulen) and Janeret, it had to be an extra special release to follow on from these. To go that extra mile two intricate remixes have been thrown in to the equation, carefully chosen for this job are the legendary Cab Drivers and native German Sven Weisemann.

Known for his driven basslines heavily influenced by funk, Diego Krause leads the way with 'Liberation'. A natural dance floor feel, and a smooth variation of looping maneuvers taking you on a trip. Another peak time bomb comes in the form of the 'Liberation' remix from the long term dynamic duo Cab Drivers. Definitely feel this one in your hips, the Cab boys bringing their signature wobbling grooves through out.

On the flip of this vinyl only release Swiss artist Idealist curates a more meaningful darker track, steady kicks carry the rhythm through the euphoric pads. Intelligent and for ever fresh, Sven Weisemann has weaved together dreamy percussions for the real story teller of the EP. Ready to grasp the entire room, and float its audience away from reality. 'Sven's perpetual Night Mix' is a fitting track to round off yet another solid release from Berg Audio.

It's with great pleasure we present to you this fantastic piece of art, as it comes hot off the press from a forward thinking outlet. Specialising in dub techno is somewhat of a rariety now a days, but as like minded artists are brought together we see something amazing shaping up here.

Over the weekend at Bristol’s infamous Motion nightclub, two forces collided to create an outlandish trip into the world of house music, making it one of the biggest nights of the In:Motion series. Hot Since 82’sKnee Deep in Sound joined forces with Catalonian psychedelic party pioneers Elrow to create an exceptional, one-off ‘Rowshow’ that all 3,800 attendees could revel in.

Let’s start with the lineup. Hot Since 82,Matador,Butch,Cristoph,De La Swing and George Privatti were announced by organisers, which is probably what triggered the event to sell-out in just 15 minutes. In addition to this, those lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket were treated to some very special guests (as promised).

Elrow took over the Warehouse and got Bristol-based DJ and producer Lukas to kick off the 12-hour rave. The room was adorned with UV paint, trippy peace signs, psychedelic flowers and wall hangings. The crowd itself was a kaleidoscopic fantasy of glitter-adorned attendees, Bristol’s most eccentric characters wrapped in fairy lights, dancing on stilts dressed as fantastical characters while throwing around inflatable objects and dancing in confetti. George Privatti was the next to hit the decks for Elrow. His two-hour set was a non-stop trip into groovy house, making the crowd go wild. Next up, the Menendez Brothers, the London duo who brought some funk and soul to the party. Then wrapping it all up was the incredible Robert James back-to-back with Elrow resident De La Swing, immersing the audience into a mind-bending haze of intergalactic house.

The Main Room was home to Knee Deep In Sound, a passion project of Yorkshire’s own Hot Since 82. With the ethos of creating forward-thinking house for the next generation- the crowd was treated to some seriously good music. Mason Slone kicked the night off, followed by a personal favourite, the incredible Cristoph. Then, Matador took to the stage for a very special live set invigorated the crowd. It didn’t stop there though, a matrix of sound and strobes emblazoned the old warehouse as the experimental force that is Butch came on. The grand finale came from Hot Since 82, as the throng of people came together with their eyes closed, heads up, and minds open, ready to immerse themselves into some wondrous techno.

All in all, the event was a psychedelic fantasy of debauchery, free-love, zany characters and a kaleidoscope of spectacular sounds. Brainchild of the Arnau family,Elrow delivered an experience unlike any other. Immersing the audience into the new world, while collaborating with the legendary Knee Deep In Sound, they created an adventure for party-goers which proved their devotion to the whimsical.

Over the last two years, Swedish festival Into the Valley has gained a global following. This is due to its meticulous curatorship, stunning scenery and astonishing line-up of the world’s most up-and-coming artists. The spirit of the festival has stayed the same; have a unique experience in an unexpected location, however, this year the festival has moved from Dalhalla to a surprisingly enchanting quarry in Rummu, Estonia. Now, organisers have announced the full line-up for one of Europe's most exciting festivals.

In addition to this, organisers have also announced the first acts for its new sister festival Into the Factory in Stockholm, after announcing 2018’s Into the Castle festival in Cape Town. This passion- project by Music Goes Further is all part of a much larger plan to revolutionise music festivals across the globe, and by 2019 they hope to have six new festivals up and running.

Let’s start with Into the Valley, after reaching phenomenal success over the last two years and gaining a reputation as one of the world’s best new festivals, they have decided to switch it up and change location. A 45-minute drive away from Tallinn, Estonia lies the mystical Rummu Quarry, the new home to this spectacle which boasts a stunning landscape of crystal-like waters and lush green scenery.

However, it’s not just the beautiful environment which makes the festival so electrifying. The list of artists perfroming is mind-blowing but most notably, Ricardo Villalobos will be headlining the main stage for a third time. In addition to this, the hauntingly brilliant Helena Hauff will be there with Romanian favourtite Rhadoo. Praslesh (the musical love-child of Raresh and Praslea), Cassy, Renaat of R&S records, Anna Hanna, and the one-woman force that is The Black Madonna are all tipped to fit the bill. They’ll be joined by one of dance’s most influential artists, Marcel Dettman, Estonia’s own KASK and Midland, who’s track Final Credits was one of this Summer’s greatest hits. These artists will all be performing from the 29th June-1st July 2017, showcasing the festival’s ability to provide an unforgettable experience with some of the globe’s best established and new artists.

The organization, Music Goes Further, runs on seven key principles which are all equally balanced to create the best adventure possible for all attendees to their events. These principals are: unique locations, advanced electronic music, pioneering technology, innovative art, food and bar architecture, holistic awareness and social equality. The project intends to continue to grow and host six major festivals by 2019. After the announcement of Into the Castle in 2018, and hopes to hold events in Southern Europe, Asia and South America, it seems that this is one of music’s most ambitious and exciting ventures of the moment.

Early-bird tickets for both festivals have already sold out, however first release for Into the Valley are on sale here, and so are ones for Into the Factory, along with a variety of camping and accommodation options and special under 23’s tickets. With more incredible acts still to be announced, they are guaranteed to go quickly. So, act fast to ensure that you can also experience one of the most innovative explorations into modern music, food, technology, art and culture.

Separating itself from other parties within the underground music landscape, Toi Toi has always followed its own path, their less is more approach is very much about letting the line up do the talking and in turn keeping it all about the music. With promotion being kept to a minimum (you’ll rarely be bombarded with multiple Facebook notifications and email flyers) Toi Toi preserves is uniqueness and works off the loyal following it has built over the years. The London party, now an agency and record label, has grown immensely over the last six years. Founded by Claus Voigtmann and Isis Salvaterras in 2010 as a series of warehouse parties, Toi Toi now throws regular parties in London and across Europe as well as hosting a successful booking agency with the likes of Audio Werner, Cab Drivers, Daze Maxim, Ion Ludwig, Junki Inoue, Loaoul, Nicola Kazimir and Voigtmann their Roster.

The next event will be taking place on 25th November hosting Toi Toi agency maestros Voigtmann, Junki Inoue and Audio Werner alongside Daniel Bell, Herodot and Loren, the event will also mark founder Isis Salvaterras birthday so double celebrations are in order. Taking place in an undisclosed warehouse location this party is guaranteed to be one you do not want to miss!

From time to time, we see Lithuania being mentioned in the underground music scene; but recently the scene has been brought up to our attention more often. This country is no longer an undiscovered land, but still not as open or well known as other Western European countries. In the past few years, it has started to become one of the Western ravers’ favourite destinations to visit. This is definitely not for no reason.

Lithuania is well known for its natural beauty, but the spooky alternative scene still holds mystery. It is home to the ‘Boso’ label with big exports such as Ten Walls, Gardens Of God and Few Nolder to name a few, and constantly vibrates a whole spectrum of experimental sounds. Vilnius has been seriously developing its scene during the past few years by establishing a variety of nights, opening new places, and encouraging more and more artists to come up from under the radar.

Within the past few years, the younger generation of Lithuanians started looking out of the box toward other musical cultures. A frustration came with chart music and post-Soviet influences, which lead to a shift in wanting to discover something new.

A huge growth can now be noticed in the techno, minimal and house scene. Most of the bars, pubs and hangout places own a pair of CDJs and have regular guests offering a wide variety of electronic sounds. It does not matter if it’s a Monday or Friday, you will always find a place to wear your dancing shoes. This is all because of hardworking promoters such as the minimal.lt community who are bringing techno, minimal, dub, experimental, IDM, ambient culture and organizing lots of different nights including; Black Wave, COSMOS, Moon Safari, Grid and Friday Fuck. In addition to the night events, they run one of the top rated festivals in Eastern Europe called ‘Supynes’ (Swings).

Another prominent figure is Rookas. He started running DAI nights five years ago, and since then they have grown into a very well respected party driven by solid and dark-fringed techno line-ups. To show their diversity, they have booked artists such as Peter Mannerfelt, SNTS, Kobosil, Max M and Violet Poison, alongside Rookas himself and residents INNER and vjsu~y. You can find more info HERE.

Not to be forgotten is the label ‘Partyzanai’. It was established way back in 2005 by duo Gvidas B. and Mantas T who are now focusing on helping artists from Baltic countries, releasing vinyl records and organizing local parties as well ones abroad, in places such as Iceland. There are also other well-respected local DJs who have been in the scene for a long time such as Pakas, Anna Hanna, Monocell, Saulty (Downtownpartynetwork), Calli and Pupa.

Lithuanian artists were always attracted to the UK scene, but it was not easy to get hands-on records and experiences until they joined the EU. A free pass to the UK is no longer an issue, and partnerships have started to grow. Now the Lithuanian community is working hard back and forth; looking for ways to improve, get inspiration and gain knowledge to run well-organized events. One of the new labels managed by a Lithuanian couple, called ‘On The 5th Day’ has grown into a massive German techno project, supporting young up-and-coming artists and dropping parties all around London. They’re now settled in Corsica Studios. You can find more information for their latest events on the official Facebook page.

It’s also well worth mentioning the Sandbox Music crew who are tirelessly working on parties in London, Vilnius and beyond. Even though he is only 20, one of the 2 resident DJs Evonii, has already played at London's beloved underground parties and more gigs confirmed in Ireland. The crew has also recently hosted London-based party, Keep on Going, at the Cult club where they now have recidency to do parties once a month with resident DJs Stinson and Evonii. You can find more information for their latest events HERE.

The drive in this distinctive sound throughout the last several years has helped the popularity growth within the clubbing scene. More venues have started to open and more new nights are coming out every month. The biggest nights so far have been held in Opium Club. Hosting well-known DJs from around the world including Eats Everything, Steve Bug, and Recondite to name a few. Alongside Lithuanian residents Manfredas, Vidis, Kandy Killers, Ernestas Sadau, Mantas T and Andrius Alien, they are all active in promoting and helping to push Vilnius’s nightlife in the right direction.

Opium Club runs different nights on a weekly basis. Manfredas and 12 Incu Po Zeme (12 Inches Underground) host the well-received and popular ‘Smala’ party (check their podcasts above) and ‘The Sneekers’ music project (Evaldas Mikalauskas/ Justinas Jarutisis) which is held under the same roof, working with local and British labels to bring new talent on stage. Check Opium’s page for upcoming gigs, as it’s absolutely a top spot to visit in Vilnius.

(Photo from Opium Club)

There are numerous places around the centre of the capital that offer tasty food, craft beers and welcome local DJ’s to perform during their nights. A great example is Studio 9, offering, dub, minimal, deep house and sometimes-even jazz.

Monday is probably one of the worst words in a dictionary, but not in Vilnius. minimal.lt host a party called ‘Minimal Mondays’ when the cold hits Eastern Europe, in a post-Soviet temple-looking building called ‘Kablys’ (The Hook), and during beautiful Summers in ‘Vasaros Terasa’ (Summer Terrace).

(Photo ‘VasarosTerasa’ (Summer Terrace)

Kablys is a popular place in Lithuania that helps all sorts of young people to progress. It is a home for dancers, skaters (they’ve got an indoor skate park, running classes and teaching kids), fashion, acting, live music events, performances and as you know, hosting different nights there. DAI label showcases are usually held there, and it’s just the perfect combination between the building and nights held there to experience unforgettable moments. You can hear Minimal Monday’s podcasts here, and usually they have a live stream from the venue. To see more info: minimal.lt

(Photo ‘Kablys’ (The Hook)

You can back me up on this one. What’s the question coming up after every night out? Yeah, you guessed it right! ‘Where’s the after party?’ And Vilnius delivers! One of the good examples is club called ‘Opalocka’. It’s probably the main after-hours destination, which turned into a new project named ‘Cult’, introducing a more house-y sound to the public with the globally known Function1 sound system. Hosting regular locals as well as international guests, it is a guarantor of a great night out. One of the past events was headlined by Fabio Florido and hosted by the Cult family, just proving how Lithuanians work together with artists from all over the Europe to bring the best to their country.

CULT Club

To sum it up, Lithuania is becoming a bigger and bigger attraction to ravers. We can see amazing lineups appearing at the capital’s clubs and festivals, as well as healthy and sustainable growth in this alternative scene. Promoters are pushing new sounds and more and more people responding to that. It probably would be useful to know a local to show things around, but that is not essential to see how wicked the Lithuanian underground scene has become and it’s still growing.